A Hesitant Alliance

             It was a pleasant feeling entering the warm motel lobby with its Christmas music, multi-coloured lights and tinsel. To Yolanda, it was an insult to the true meaning of the season. At least it wasn’t as depressing as it would have been if there had been no decoration at all.

            Behind the counter was a very bored attendant trying to read an old paperback book.

The storm was young, and there was plenty of time for disasters like power outages to happen.

“Are there any rooms available?” Yolanda smiled, hoping she wouldn’t scare the boy.

            The kid looked up. His eyes widened at her before he looked around her at the officers behind her. In a mirror, she saw Ian give the boy an annoyed look. She took a sniff of the air while she pretended to rub her nose as if it were itchy. There was the reason for the deer in the headlights look the boy was giving her. The kid was a shifter and a non-predatory one. He was most likely an elk or deer, which caused Yolanda to chuckle.

            “I guess there is a room available at the far end of the building.”

            “Then you can put it on the Wolversen account. Someone may call, tell them Aricka Wolversen approved it on for of Yolanda Redgrave.”

            “I’ll make a note of that. The Lun… Mrs. Wolversen approved this?”

            “She sent me out here to deal with a few things.” Yolanda pointed at the officers with her thumb. “It’s all good and well in hand, so don’t worry about it.” The kid’s eyes were still wide as he nodded and scribbled the information on a piece of paper.

“Good to know. Thanks for everything. My sister came home a few days ago.”

            Ian had been listening to everything, and at this, his instinct to investigate had him asking questions, “Was there a reason she couldn’t come home?”

The kid was now trying to hide his panic. His instincts were conflicting for him. He wanted to run, and he wanted to stand still to avoid detection.

“A few of the local kids got stuck a distance away from here with no way home. Mr. Wolversen and a few others went out and brought them home safe and sound. You know how people can get lost in the woods around here.”

The kid listened to Yolanda’s excuse and nodded. His eyes still held their stricken look. He was smart enough not to add any further comments.

            Jaxon leaned in to whisper into Ian’s ear something that had Ian quietly grunting.

“All checked in. Here is your key card. It’s for room 2D. The officers can show you as they have the other rooms in that area.”

“Thank you. Have a Merry Yule.” Yolanda took the card, turned to the officers and motioned for them to lead the way.

“How come you didn’t have to sign your life away or prove your identity?”

“It’s a local thing. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me?”

“The kid has probably met enough of the Wolversen clan that he knows what we look like. With all our business dealings, it’s not unusual for us to need to put up in places like this around the area, so we have running accounts with them for simplicity.”

“So, Mr. Wolversen sent out some of his men to find a few local kids that got lost in the woods?”

“Yes, why wouldn’t he? It’s the neighbourly thing to do. We live in this area. Why would we isolate ourselves from our neighbours?” Yolanda sighed. “Sorry, that was bitchy of me. Look, we’ve lived here for generations. Most of the world thinks we are reclusive and such. But we aren’t. This is our home and where we live. We don’t jealously hoard our wealth from the rabble in the community. When needed, we offer our resources to help our neighbours, we willingly offer them up, and those around here do the same for us. I saw your face when you first saw me. I look nothing like those that handle our public image. I choose not to be one of them. My specialties run in a different direction. We live as one on the estate as its tradition. Decades ago, there were phones and email. For safety and resource conservation, we all pulled together onto the estate. Our prosperity worked into wealth, and we shared it and those around us. It’s that simple. I bet I could find an aunt or uncle that played with or went to school with his parents.”

“Small community?”

“Very much so. I’m surprised that there are rooms here since a similar community is forming close to here.”

            “What?” Hal looked up, surprised by his cellphone. “Still no signal. Another enclave? Why?”

            “As far as I can tell, another founding family in this area has decided they want the security and such from living near. Oh, don’t worry, we know them well, and there’s nothing illegal going on: no cults or anything like that. In fact, Mr. Wolversen will help them get set up properly in the New Year. My best description is that these enclaves are like small towns in their formation.”

            “What caused this sudden change?” Ian clearly had good instincts and an inquisitive mind to see that there was more to the story.

“Not sure to be truthful. We only found out about it a few days ago when they called for help to set up. It seemed rather urgent. I guest with winter being so close that would be why they need to get things buzzing. I believe Mr. Wolversen got things in motion right then to get services up to them.”

            “Where is this exactly?”

            “Oh, don’t worry about it. This is something we’ve done for centuries, and we will look after everyone. Anyway, it’s the holidays, so we don’t need to worry about schooling and such. By the time school starts again, they will be stable for the winter, and in spring, they can put permanent structures up. Services are already in place for the short term. In spring, they’ll probably put in the wind or solar electricity. Permits, water, sewage and such will have to be in spring.”

“What about medical care? Food?”

“That’s probably in Phase 1. It’s all accounted for. I swear we could use the same system on another planet, and everyone would survive. Look, we have the resources, and we’re sharing them. We may have had issues in the past with this family, but when push comes to shove, we can put our differences aside and work together.”

            “Strange, and you are sure you don’t know why these people have so suddenly done this?”

            “I thought it should have happened a long time ago. But who am I to tell others how to live? I am the first to admit that it was not my place to say anything about it, then or now. I follow orders.”

            “So, in choosing you, it was actually the correct call because of your knowledge of the local area and experience in finding people in the local region?”

            “I guess. I wasn’t on the team for that one, but I could very well have been. I’ve also not said I would join you.” Yolanda stopped in front of her door and looked Ian in the eye. “I’ll think about it. We’ll talk in the morning. Damnit, I forgot my go-bag on my bike.”

            “Why do you need a go-bag to go to the police station for an interview?”

            “I ride a bike in winter, and you want me to provide you with logic? This is Canada and you never know what you’re going to encounter. I may be crazy, but I’m not stupid.”

            “You two head in and get warm. I’ll walk with her to the bike and make sure she gets back safely.” Ian let his buddies have an out of the cold. But clearly, he thought, she either couldn’t walk along a road in winter without getting lost. Or he thought she was an idiot to drive off on her bike in this.

            Yolanda looked Ian straight in the eye and then sighed. “You really don’t trust me not to do something stupid, do you? I know the roads can get impassable in less than an hour in weather like this. I’ve seen enough accidents not to be that foolish.”

            The go-bag Yolanda was talking about really wasn’t the type of go-bag Ian was. His would-be for getting on the road as soon as possible. Hers was in case of being caught with lost or destroyed clothing, injuries, or she couldn’t move safely from where she was for a while, and she would need to hide for a time.

            “Never said you were, but out here, it’s safer to travel in pairs. Just in case something unforeseen happens.”

            “Fine, let’s move and get it all done and over with. I need to check in with my boss.” She pocketed the key in a zippered pocket and began walking towards the station again and her bike. This time, though, she pushed her bike from the station to the motel with help from Ian. Yolanda didn’t need the help. But it seemed to make him happy.